NEW YORK, Sept 25 – Child marriage in India has dropped dramatically, with cases among girls falling by 69% and among boys by 72%, according to a new report released at a side event during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
The report, titled “Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India”, was prepared by the Centre for Legal Action and Behaviour Change for Children (C-LAB), an initiative of Just Rights for Children (JRC), a network of over 250 NGOs working for child protection.
Assam Leads; Other States Show Major Gains
The report shows Assam leading with an 84% decline, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70% each), Rajasthan (66%), and Karnataka (55%). It credited this success to coordinated action by the Government of India, state governments, and civil society groups through initiatives like the Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat campaign launched in 2024.
Notably, 99% of respondents said they had heard about the campaign, mostly via NGOs, schools, and Panchayats.
Recognising Assam’s achievement, JRC awarded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the Champions of Change Award for his government’s role in curbing child marriages.
From Taboo to Transparency
The findings reflect a major shift in public perception. As recently as 2019-21, three children were married off every minute while only three cases were reported in a day. Today, 63% of people feel “very comfortable” reporting child marriages, and 33% feel “somewhat comfortable,” the report said.
Bhuwan Ribhu, Founder of JRC, said, “India is on the verge of ending child marriage. The world now has a blueprint: prevention before protection, protection before prosecution, and prosecution to create deterrence for prevention.”
Education, Poverty, and Social Barriers
The report highlighted challenges in education access: in 31% of surveyed villages, all girls aged 6–18 were in school, but in Bihar it was only 9% compared to 51% in Maharashtra.
Reasons cited for child marriage included:
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Poverty (91%)
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Safety concerns for girls (44%)
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Social norms and traditions
Barriers to girls’ education included poverty (88%), lack of infrastructure (47%), safety concerns (42%), and lack of transport (24%).
Recommendations and Global Context
The report recommended:
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Strict enforcement of child marriage laws
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Compulsory marriage registration
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Village-level awareness campaigns
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Declaring a National Day Against Child Marriage
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Strengthening reporting mechanisms
Speakers at the UNGA side event included global leaders from Sierra Leone, Kenya, Norway, France, and UN representatives, calling India’s success a “model for the world.”
Key Numbers
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397,849 child marriages prevented since April 2023
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109,548 children rescued from trafficking & forced labour
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74,375 cases filed against traffickers
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32,000 survivors of sexual abuse supported